Bringing family up in an inner city flat...

[goteam]

Our narrative at home has always been that we need to move out of our flat to a house once the kids are a few years from secondary school for more space. That time is kind of now. We are in zone 2 near lovely parks, swimming pools, theatres, quick bus into central London and lots of other amenities. We just can't decide on an area of north London we like enough and can afford (900k max) and just love our current location so much.

Anyone have positive stories about bringing older kids up in flats? The kids were sharing a bedroom but we have rearranged so our small reception room is now bedroom 3 and the kitchen diner which is quite big has become our living room too. We don't feel cramped though and have clever storage and beginning to think is it worth the upheaval of moving schools etc for an extra bedroom and a bit more living space?! We want an extra bedroom mainly so friends and family can stay but that's all we need it for really. We would downsize again if we did move once the kids leave home.

We have a garden and over lockdown we spent a lot of time in there putting new decking down and in the summer it really is like having an extra room.

I think we are beginning to doubt whether we actually want to move! I know many people live in high rises etc and apartment living is just how it is for many but I guess the thing is we have a choice here. We could move to zone 4 or 5 and get a nice house but be in the suburbs really without the which we aren't sure we want! In an ideal world we would be able to afford a house here but they are 1.2 million for 3 bedroom terraces which don't actually provide much more space....1.3 million for 4 bedrooms...

We felt a bit cramped and on top of each other over lockdown but now things are a bit more normal we are often out and about and home is more of a base which is what has always kept us here.

Any thoughts and positive stories welcome!

@TheRIDs sounds like that works for you all. Not quite sure if we do have enough space. It's hard to tell. The garden helps as actually it's usable for a large chunk of the year. I just havent found a zone 4 place we like enough but admittedly haven't looked everywhere. Any suggestions welcome!

If you already have enough space for a room each then I don't see the problem.

also something to think about is how big are your kids? Two teenage boys both 6.2 is a small flat might be hard. But two girls might be totally fine. I grew up like that and it was fine! But my DH could hardly fit into my parents house...but we are small all small people and size of flats is relative to size of humans. Also in terms of schools...girl schools are good in most parts of london

I guess it's the extra space for bikes, hobby equipment and privacy for teens (and parents of teens!) We worry about @movingonup20

We absolutely do technically have enough space but will we in 5 years time?! That's the worry. We will have a 14 and 11 year old then...

I guess we want reassuring success stories that yes this can work or a suggestion of a magical zone 4 buzzing city paradise that feels like Camden or Islington but with affordable houses. I know this doesnt exist!

We have one of each @zurich09 which is probably why we never moved to walthamstow as while there is a great girls' option I dont think there is a similar option for boys. Also for travelling to school etc we would like them at the same school.

the usual places are Crystal Palace, Walthamstow, Leytonstone ....

Ah yes ok....in that case...you can always buy a three bed not in school catchment near your current location later if needed. The reality is that areas in North London will be more suburban and in East London have woorst mixed schools until you get to suburbia.

I really like crystal palace but it isn't great for DH's work or family who are all north of London. Forest hill too (for the Horniman museum), we love many parts of south London but it doesn't work for us. Also, I am home based but when I have to go to meetings (about once a week) they are also in a very north part of north London!

@goteam - same! We also work in the North so cant really do SELondon without a super long commute. So honestly, you either have to pick space or schools.... i.e. stay put or go east like everyone else........or suburbia.

something to remember - your kids wont really know any different. So really its just for you. Lots of British parents want to recreate what they had as kids i.e. suburbia with large gardens and big houses....It's not right just cultural and historic (the historiy of it only goes back about two generations at most -before that lots of people lived in tiny places). I also want to recreate what I had - a small place in the Centre. I shared with my sister till I was 16 - and didnt mind it at all. I used to go to my friends' houses more than have people over, she had lots of people over and they just took over the living room. It was fine!

How about a three bed place in a nice block of flats somewhere like Crouch End?? Totally in budget -purpose-built so no stupid layouts. Buy it once your kids are teens and you won't need a private garden. But they might appreciate having a separate room.

Worth investigating @zurich09. In year admissions in CE might be a headache though!

Sounds like you have a great set up. A pp mentioned study space- having a nearby library was amazing for my dcs. And we’re lucky enough to live in a borough with 7 day week opening. Obviously things can change, and probably will but central London libraries are as busy as University libraries in exam season- it’s where London teenagers work.

stay where you are.
kids want excitement and facilities, activities, the friends they grew up with. and you are so lucky to have a garden.
to be stuck out in the burbs, where the nearest station can be 30 minute walk away, is a very different prospect for children than for middle-aged adults, thinking of property particulars.
town is so much more exciting. just walking down the road, has that joyful buzz of possibility.
don't take that away from your children.

It sounds lovely, having all that stuff on your doorstep. I'd stay where you are.

Especially if you could see yourselves staying there in retirement.

Everyone makes compromises with their housing, but I think you've got a really nice balance.

Watching with interest as we're in a v similar position. I've found there are houses with gardens and 3/4 bedrooms to be had in our borough (Islington) - mostly ex LA or new build. If you can overlook the lack of curb appeal and boxy interiors, there are options that cost about the same as a period conversion. I'll post a couple if I can find them! I realise they won't be much bigger but it sounds like location is paramount for you. I'd stay where you are and enjoy it

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-96169724.html

Wow. I like that house @RebeccaNoodles
I don't care took much if a house is a bit ugly to look at if it has space and decent sized rooms plus a garden. That's in a nice area too.

@omega3 that's the thing, this flat will suit us in retirement. I don't want to be rattling around in a too big house somewhere far from the action. I envisage DH and I going to daytime concerts and having lunch on the southbank!

@alexdgr8 yeah, I think you're right. It is great for kids to be near the action.

@Etinox I agree. I lived near a library growing up and studied there rather than at home.

Leytonstone has the urban feel with the suburban property sizes. Bushwood area near Leytonstone tube (Central Line Zone 3) in particular... Loads of us moved here from Islington, Hackney etc and retain enough of what we thought we'd miss (restaurants, cafes...) for the huge gains of space, neighbourliness, greenery and attractive houses... Just an example...

www.pettyson.co.uk/property-for-sale/house-for-sale-in-hartley-road-leytonstone/1110

@E11Millie - lots of people have mentioned Leytonstone to me. And it is lovely but I wasn't sure what people did about secondary schools.

@monkeygoesbananas I was going to ask about schools actually. I like Leytonstone although I don't know the Bushwood area

We made the move from Zone 2, A flat in Stokey with balcony when my oldest was 14 months. We are now in a house with big garden in Z4 North London and we like it, boys are now 11 and 13 and I like the fact that we can have a car with driveway, got a dog, boys both play football on quite a high level so lots of matches quite far out, Essex/Hertfordshire so it's easy access to M25 and NC. Although in your position I would probably stay as space wise it seems fine, we didn't have a garden and flat was very noisy. If your secondary schools are good then stay. Also think you are quite right that a trip into London, even though we do it (before COVID) it's a bit of a faff, we do have the tube so it's only 25 mins but still

@VaselinaAngelina where is this lovely place in zone 4 you speak of?!

Border of New Southgate/Southgate but I am not sure I would call it especially lovely when we moved, the houses were very affordable but we don't really have a high street to talk about, Southgate has ASDA, Boots etc but not particularly lovely cafes or restaurants. We like it though!

@VaselinaAngelina oh I thinks it's nice around there. You have a leisure centre and M&S Simply Food too! Just a bit too far out for us. Ashmole Academy seems like a great school but with a tiny catchment. I have researched the area pretty well!